Nine Months and then Some
by savvyliterate
Summary: Four years after defeating Darkstar, Lina faces a new challenge - one that she isn't quite prepared for. Sequel to "Search for the Darkstar."
1. It Happened One Night

**Disclaimer:** Slayers does not belong to me, but belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi and the companies that represent them. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**Author's Note:** This series of short stories is set starting four years after the last chapter of "Search for the Darkstar." Knowledge of that story isn't required fully for this fic with the exception of two things: 1) Gourry has retained the Sword of Light since in the "Darkstar" timeline, it is recovered after the events of the "Knight of Aqualord" manga and 2) Shizuri and Lyos from the "Knight of Aqualord" manga are on Lina's continent after agreeing to travel with her at the end of that series. Most of this fic has been written, and it serves as a set-up for two longer stories that are in the stages of being produced.

**Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж **

Chapter 1: "It Happened One Night"

Gourry stared into the mirror and bit his lip for a moment before fixing his shirt collar one more time. He was quite pleased with himself. For once, he didn't forget! The first year, he tied a piece of string around his finger to remember. Then he forgot what the string was for. The second year, he made marks on a sheet of paper to count down the number of days. Then he forgot if he was supposed to be counting up or down.

This year he had a foolproof plan. He simply asked Amelia to let him know when the right day was. While Lina had been in the bathroom that morning, a small gem the princess had given him activated and Amelia's cheerful voice had wished him and Lina a happy anniversary, along with a happy birthday for Lina. He promised to pass on the wishes and felt satisfied knowing that for the first time, he hadn't forgotten his anniversary.

It wasn't much. It would be dinner and well...you know. And he'd gotten her a book. Actually, Zelgadiss had gotten the book when they had run into the chimera about a month earlier. Zel had said Lina would love it and Gourry took his word for it, because he had no idea what books Lina liked except if they dealt with magic or history. She had so many of those already, he had no idea what she needed.

He crossed the room and picked up the neatly wrapped package. Everything was ready. All he lacked now was Lina.

The door burst open and blur of crimson, black and fuschia tore into the room. Before Gourry knew what was happening, Lina had grabbed his sword, thrust it into his arms and was pulling him toward the door. "We've got to go," she announced.

"Wha...Wait! Where're we going?" Gourry hastily shoved the slim volume in his back pocket so he could unsheath the sword.

"Anywhere but here!" Lina yanked him down the stairs and started running. "I might have incited a mob. Just a small one!" she added over her shoulder as they reached the back door leading out of the inn.

They headed outside and Gourry saw that Lina's idea of a small mob was about a hundred people bearing pitchforks, crude swords and torches. A rogue fireball grazed his ear, singing a few strands of hair as he ducked out of the way. Okay, it included a few amateur sorcerers as well.

"Crap, we're going to have to fight our way through this. _Damu Blass!" _Lina shot the spell at the ground just in front of the mob and a storm of dirt and dust exploded into the air.

Gourry whirled around and parried a pitchfork attack. "What did you do?"

"I got into a tiny argument with the town mayor. _Flare Arrow!_"

He elbowed another man, grabbed a third by the back of his shirt and sent him flying into the mob. "Over?"

"_Freeze Arrow!_ I might have told him that the gold statue of Rezo in the town square was actually just painted tin."

Gourry caught a glance of melted metal a few feet away from them as they inched their way toward the road. He parried another attack. "Did you melt it?"

"It was an accident! _Balus Wall!_" Lina threw up the shield to deflect one of the magic attacks. "Charlie over there froze the statue in a wall of ice and I just kindly offered my services to unfreeze it. Watch it, you," she shouted to a man barely older than herself who'd lobbed a weak fireball at her. "Just for that, _Bomb di Wind!_"

The attack blew a tunnel through the crowd and Lina grabbed Gourry's arm. "Now's our chance!" He knew what as coming and barely managed to get his arms around her before she took to the air and shot through the crowd with a Raywing. She landed just far enough outside of town for them to get a head start and they sped through the forest.

"How much did you charge him?" he asked as they ran.

"Free night's stay at the inn. It was a bargain! How was I suppose to know the statue would melt along with the ice?" Lina tossed a glance over her shoulder and saw lit torches in the distance. "Let's fly a little bit more."

They landed after darkness had completely fallen. Gourry barely swayed when his feet touched ground and he sighed in relief. Their adventures the past few years had taken him into the sky more times than he wanted to count. While he would never be a big fan of that method of travel, he no longer got sick from it either.

Lina squinted into the distance. "They won't chase after us. It's not like the statue was worth that much to begin with."

Gourry glanced into the direction she stared in, his eyesight quickly adjusting to the darkness. "Let's go over there." He pointed to their left and Lina could barely make out the shape of a cave.

She quickly crafted a torch and Gourry inspected it to make sure it was empty. Within minutes, they had a small fire going and Lina had dipped into their packed supplies. She spread out a blanket for a ground covering, then rummaged through their things, her brow furrowed. "Where's your bag?" she asked, glancing up at him, then did a double take. Instead of his normal clothes and armor, he was wearing the white linen shirt and grey trousers he'd worn for their wedding - the clothing now dirty and torn from their fight in town. _Why is he wearing..._ The answer came to her in a sudden jolt and she swore.

"Something wrong, Lina?"

Lina thumped down on the blanket and looked at him with admiration. "You actually remembered. That's one for the record books!"

"Remember what? Oh!" Gourry ran his hand through the back of his hair and laughed. "Yeah!" He reached in his back pocket and took out the battered package. There was a gouge in it from where an errant pitchfork had hit its mark, but it was relatively unscathed. He presented the package to her. "Happy anniversary."

Lina eagerly grabbed the gift and tore into it as Gourry settled himself beside her. She flipped through the slim volume eagerly, humming with pleasure. "Zel knows exactly what I need," she announced and grinned at Gourry's stunned look. "What? I know you wouldn't pick this out for me!"

"I told Zel you'd like a book though and I didn't know which one..."

"Trust me. Better to let Zel pick out something I need than for you to buy me a book on the finer art of swordsmithing."

"That's a very important subject!"

"To you that is!" She got onto her knees, leaned forward and kissed him before touching her forehead to his, "Thanks for the gift."_And for having the brains to get Zel to pick it out_, she silently added. She pulled back and sighed. "Your armor is back in that town, along with your bag. We can sneak back tomorrow and get it - if they hadn't thrown it out or sold the pieces. It's a good thing what few keepsakes you have you keep with mine."

Gourry nodded. There wasn't much items of sentimental value that he owned. A certain red book he'd liberated from a library during their quest for Darkstar. The original sheath for the Sword of Light. The weapon itself was in Saillune, on display with the other four weapons of light following the final battle with Darkstar.

Lina glanced at his shoulders. "I'll get you some new armor for your present. That old set was wearing out anyhow."

His eyes lit up. "Really? Thanks!" He pulled her to him, hugged her tightly. She wiggled around until she was in his lap and they lazily watched the fire together.

"So," she murmured in a sleepy voice, "what were your plans for the evening?"

He flushed. "Not much. Just dinner and well... you know."

"We don't have much here food-wise," she remarked and her rumbling stomach agreed. "But..." She arranged herself so she straddled his lap. "I think we can still...you know."

"You think?" His eyes sparked with humor.

Her grin nearly stretched from ear to ear. "Why don't I show you?"

It took nearly four months for Lina to remember that she left one other thing behind in that town along with Gourry's armor - a vial of a certain pink potion she had left brewing on the table in the corner.

**Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж **

_Several months later_

One day her clothes fit. The next, they didn't.

"What's going on?" Lina stared at her pants as if they had mortally offended her. She waved them at Gourry, who stood at the washstand shaving. "These don't fit anymore!"

"Maybe you ate too much pudding last night."

"I never eat too much pudding!" Lina threw the pants down in disgust and flopped on the bed. "I've been ravenous lately! Even more so than usual! I even out ate you at Nyan Nyan's in Atlas City and I've tried for years to do that!"

"You have been gaining weight," Gourry observed and wiped his face with a towel. He turned to the bed. Lina's robe had gaped open and showed the rounded abdomen that hadn't been there a few weeks earlier. "See?"

Lina lifted her head and scowled at her stomach. "Yeah, I see it alright. I've never gained weight before. _Never_. My magic causes my metabolism to go into overdrive as is and we run around enough to take care of the rest." She placed one hand on her stomach. "I had that stomach bug for a few days two months ago, but it didn't last long. My period's been going crazy, but it's never been reliable - even more so since I started that damn potion. Speaking of my magic, it's been getting erratic lately. Maybe we should seek out Zel and see if something is wrong with..."

"With what?" Gourry pulled on his shirt and looked at Lina. Her eyes had gone wide, her face chalk white. "Lina? What's wrong?"

"Come here," she said in an odd voice and moved her hand. "Put your hand there. Do you feel something?"

It took him a moment. His eyesight was keen, his hearing sharp. He wasn't sure if that would extend to touch as well. But then a glow surrounded his hand as Lina channeled her magic into it, then he felt it - a small fluttering against his hand. He blinked several times, then felt the fluttering again. He wasn't sure of anything inside of Lina's body that would cause such a thing except... He went pale and grabbed her hand. "Lina?"

"I think we better see a healer," she said quietly and stared at their joined hands resting on her stomach. "Something tells me that this party's no longer a twosome."


	2. A Mature Knight

Disclaimer: Slayers does not belong to me, but belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi and the companies that represent them. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

Author's Note: Knowledge of the events of "Search for the Darkstar" is useful for this chapter, but for those not familiar with Lyos, he is a character introduced in the manga series "Knight of Aqualord." The story regarding Gourry and the coin comes from the second novel, but I altered it here to suit the story. In the original novel story, Gourry turns around and resells the coin for five times what it was originally worth after Lina gets onto him for wasting the coin. In this version, she kept it.

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Chapter 2: "A Mature Knight"

"I call upon the power of the god Aqualord! Lend me your power and together we shall strike down our enemies!"

Clouds split and a single beam of light emerged from the sky, striking the great weapon that was held over the head of a blue-haired man. His muscles trembled beneath the pressure as the energy filled the weapon. With a single, fluid motion, he swung the blade down, then around. With a yell, he sprinted toward a nearby boulder and cleaved it in half. Dust and pebbles sprayed into the air. The man pivoted, then tore into another boulder. He finished the move with a final spin, bringing the shimmering blade to rest against his shoulder.

Several feet away on a picnic blanket, his companion coughed as she waved dust out of the air. "You call that impressive swordsmanship?"

The man faltered and rewarded his companion with a scowl. "That's much better than what I could do three years ago!"

"Not bad. Gourry could do better."

"Rargh!" Lyos dropped his sword and yanked at his hair in frustration. "This is the first time I've seen you in three years and all you can say is that the idiot swordsman can do better?"

"You wanted the truth, I gave you the truth." Lina Inverse picked up a sandwich and inspected carefully for dust. She then proceeded to devour it. "You're the one who dragged me up here the moment we arrived," she said between mouthfuls of white bread and ham. "You wanted to show off the results of your training. Believe me, you're showing off."

Lyos threw himself to the ground and glared at her. "So three years of training means nothing?"

"I didn't say it was wasted." Lina's eyes lit up at a small basket of nectarines and grabbed three. She glowered at Lyos when he rolled his eyes at her. "Hey now! I'm eating for two!"

"You always ate for two," Lyos muttered as he grabbed a sandwich. He bit into it, then spat it out. "Wait a minute..." He stared at Lina, then at the rounded stomach peeking from between the folds of her cloak, then back at her. He'd been so focused on getting Lina alone to show her his skills that he didn't notice the changes in her body. "You mean really for two?"

"Please tell me you know of the birds and the bees."

"I know what sex is!" Lyos yelled. "You and the swordsman were jumping each other every chance you got since the middle of the stuff with Darkstar!"

"We were not!" Lina shot back hotly and tossed a nectarine peel at him. "Besides, we're not here to discuss that, which you would have already known had you actually listened to Shizuri read our letters! We're here to discuss your power. The kid growing inside me and your power have nothing to do with each other."

Because the thought of Lina as a mother terrified Lyos to some degree, he immediately shifted back to their previous topic. "So, whatcha mean that my time wasn't wasted?"

"Just what I said. You were barely gaining control of your powers when we defeated Hureika," Lina replied and polished off the second nectarine. "You're much more in control now than you were during the Darkstar fight even."

"Didn't do much there," Lyos muttered somewhat bitterly. He draped his arms over his knees and sighed. "It felt like I was tagging along, like some extra who was taken around due to my powers with Aqualord."

Lina didn't say anything for a moment. "You came with us to get this training from Milgazia-san. Your powers are strong, Lyos. But the powers needed to kill Darkstar were more than yours and mine combined again. We were having trouble taking out a Mazoku priest. Imagine that being against Darkstar, especially fused with Volphied."

Lyos nodded and gave a dejected sigh. "What good is this power if I can't use it?"

Lina let out a long sigh, then beckoned to Lyos. "Come here. No, closer." When Lyos was within the right distance, Lina yanked a slipper from her cloak and started smacking him repeatedly with it.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Lyos threw up his arms in an effort to block the attack, but eight years of Lina using said slipper on Gourry greatly improved her skills with it. "What's that for?"

"For being an idiot!" Lina shoved the slipper back in her cloak. "We were damn well lucky that we had Xelloss and Filia there to perform fusion magic or neither of us would be sitting here today! You helped! Now get over that suffering hero complex of yours."

Lyos pouted slightly and didn't say anything for a good five minutes. Lina contented herself by digging into a large chocolate cake. He glanced at the cake and Lina obliged him by cutting a slice. "Grab that before I eat it."

He took it and dug in. "So, if I'm so powerful, how am I'm not any better than an ordinary swordsman?"

Lina put down her cake and gave Lyos a knowing look. "What's the most obvious difference between you and Gourry?"

"That I have brains and he doesn't?"

"He's smart," Lina commented and Lyos goggled at her. "What? He is smart! He's a jellyfish brain to the tenth degree, but he can run circles around you as a swordsman." She pointed her fork at Lyos. "You both have had training. You can argue age. You're 21, he just turned 30. He's been on his own as a swordsman for nearly 13 years and has used a sword much longer than that. The big difference is that he isn't a showoff. When he does show off, he makes sure to leave other people in the dust."

Lina put her plate down and fished in her cloak. She withdrew two objects and tossed them at Lyos. "Here."

He caught them easily and his eyes went wide. A perfectly bisected gold coin lay in his palm. "What's this?"

"Not long after Gourry and I met, we ran into this guy named Lantz." Lina leaned back against the tree and folded her arms behind her head. "Lantz was a mercenary trying to show off his skills and balanced that coin on the tip of his sword."

Lyos whistled beneath his breath. "I can't even do that."

"So then Gourry pulls out his sword and bisects the coin - while it's balanced on Lantz's sword."

Lyos's jaw dropped. "You mean... What the... That's incredible!"

Lina grinned. "I helped myself to the pieces after I slapped sense into Gourry for wasting a gold piece like that. Hey, I am the kid of merchants, you know," she said at Lyos's indiginant look. "And with this one on the way, looks like I'll be setting up shop myself. Now, the point of the story is that Gourry showed off in a way that no one can dispute his power. Any guy lucky enough with a sword can cleave boulders the way you did. I've never seen anyone bisect a metal coin like this and I've been on the road for nine years."

Lyos stared at the pieces again and some of it fell into place. "How would he have done that?"

"The boulders?" Lina nodded to the mess. "Just a clean bisection. No dust, no pebbles. You fought at his side awhile. You know what he's capable of."

Lyos remembered the day that Gourry had proved himself to him, when the older man had killed a Mazoku by innately knowing where its true body was. He could see what Lina was trying to tell him and it was something that both Milgazia and Shizuri had told him repeatedly in his time here. He had incredible power and could now harness it. But finessing it would put him in a league above others.

He started to hand the coin back, but Lina waved him off. "Keep it! Useless coin anyhow. Can't do anything with it since it was cut like that. Maybe you'll get more use out of it by holding onto it."

Lyos closed his fingers around the coin. He knew what Lina was trying to tell him. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Lina gazed into the distance. "You and Shizuri leave tomorrow."

"Yeah." Lyos's gaze followed hers. "Zasu-sama summoned us back. There's a civil war brewing and he's hoping the power of Aqualord can do something to hold people back." He snorted. "I don't want to play a stupid political game. It's not really my home anymore. I just don't want to let Shizuri go into that hellhole alone."

Lina nodded, pleased that despite his complaints, his loyalty to his friends and those he served was strong. "You've got a reason to come back."

Lyos grinned. "Suppose I do, don't I? I'm gonna make sure Shizuri gets there safely, check in on my mother and head back. Maybe Ma won't be so scared of my power any longer."

"One could only hope," Lina muttered.

"But my life's here, you know? I'll find something to do in Saillune." They began gathering the dishes. Lyos paused after a moment, a dirty plate in his hand. He sat back on his haunches and glanced once more at the horizon. "It feels like something's going to happen soon. Just something in my gut."

"The only thing that's happening soon is dinner," Lina said lightly and got to her feet. She patted her slightly rounded abdomen. "I'm starved!"

"No, it's not that."

Lina's smile died at the sad look on Lyos's face. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "You're going to check to see if anything's there about her, aren't you?"

Lyos swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand quickly. "She's dead. The visions I had when we were fighting Hureika should had confirmed that. But I can't move on unless..."

"I know." Lina squeezed his shoulder. "Sylphiel understands."

"I know. Once I know the truth, that Soi Len's really gone, I can keep moving forward." Lyos flashed a grin at her. "You'll see! By the time I get back, I'll bisect two coins upon the tip of a sword!"

Lina rolled her eyes. "In your dreams!" She gave Lyos a hearty slap on the back. "Get yourself moving! My kid doesn't wait for dinner!"

"If the kid eats as much as its parents, then there's going to be some serious food shortages." Lyos ducked another swipe of Lina's slipper. He grabbed the basket and sped toward the Aqualord temple, laughing as Lina chased him waving her slipper.


	3. The War Orphan

**Disclaimer:** Slayers does not belong to me, but belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi and the companies that represent them. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**Author's Note:** Knowledge of the events of "Search for the Darkstar" is useful for this chapter, but for those not familiar with Shizuri, she is a character introduced in the manga series "Knight of Aqualord." There's some veiled references here to the original TRY, but I hope this story shows that Filia is on a different path than the one she was on at the end of that series.

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Chapter 3: The War Orphan

After Lina had gone off to speak with Lyos, Gourry half-expected to find himself faced with an afternoon of tedious boredom. He was pleasantly surprised to find a buffet loaded with food waiting for him when he emerged from the room he and Lina were staying in at the dragon's enclave - the same set of rooms that they had shared four years earlier when they had married there.

"Come on, eat up, Gourry-san," Filia urged, grabbing his arm and leading him to the elaborate spread. Several silver tureens were perched on wire holders with small candles lit beneath them to keep the food hot. Steam wafted from the containers, along with several mouth-watering smells. Beside the tureens was an equally elaborate spread of several kinds of desserts. "I've been needing a taste tester with discerning taste to try out the new pastries for my shop."

"So, you settled on Gourry?" Shizuri quipped, walking into the room with several scrolls in her hands. She nodded to them before setting them on a table and joining them at the buffet.

"Why not?" Filia asked as Gourry immediately grabbed a plate and began loading it with cakes, cookies, and several slices of pie. "Lyos-san isn't here, and you don't care for sweets. Memphis-san is on an errand for Milgazia-san, and he doesn't really care for sweets either. So, that leaves Gourry-san."

"Gourry wouldn't care if you set a rock cake made of actual rocks in front of him, he'd still eat them." Shizuri cracked the seal on one of the scrolls and carefully unrolled it.

Filia placed her hands on her hips and gave a little snort before turning her back on Shizuri to watch Gourry bite into a piece of triple-chocolate cake. She wasn't that upset with Shizuri and both of them knew it. In the years since they were thrown together on a mission to defeat Darkstar, the illusionist and the former shrine maiden had become extremely close friends. For a long time, it had been a strange experience for both. Neither of them had had a close girlfriend before, much less a close friend of any sort.

As the years slipped by since Darkstar's defeat and the annihilation of Filia's tribe, she knew that her friendship with Shizuri was the main thing that helped her to get over the immense tragedy. Lina and Amelia had been nice enough, but both had their own problems to deal with. Lyos was also friendly enough, and Filia now viewed him as a brother. Her heart had nearly broken when he had finally admitted what happened with Soi Len, and she vowed to protect him to the best of her ability.

But, Shizuri was far different. She was the one who woke Filia when she was caught in a nightmare. Whenever Filia lost control, Shizuri was the one who knocked sense into her. Together, the women had built up Filia's tea shop and turned it into a thriving business - not just on the mountain, but in the nearby human city as well. They even had a small export service going with deliveries to Kunan thanks to trade agreements with Saillune.

Nearly five years after first meeting Shizuri, Filia found it hard to remember life before they became friends.

"This is really good, Filia." Gourry's voice shook Filia out of her thoughts and she looked over to see the swordsman waving a fork at her, crumbs left on his plate. "But, this is a little too tart." He pointed the fork at the cherry pie sitting a few plates down from the cake. "Could use more sugar."

"You think so?" Filia shot a haughty look at Shizuri before walking over to inspect the pie. Shizuri merely rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her scroll.

As she read the text, Shizuri's forehead creased in a frown. Her gaze flitted to Filia, then back to the scroll. "Say, Filia," she said in a quiet voice that still managed to cut through the food-ladened discussion that Filia and Gourry were holding, "your clan was the only worshippers of Flarelord outside of the barrier, weren't they?"

"Hmm?" Filia glanced over her shoulder, fork in her mouth from where she was tasting the pie for herself. Gourry was right, it did need more sugar. "There was another small band of golden dragons that were an off-shoot of ours, but we lost contact with them several centuries ago. Really, I didn't know that much about them except that they supposedly settled in the far east where we traveled a couple years ago. I thought about looking them up, but ..."

Shizuri closed her eyes for a moment, then passed the scroll over to Filia. She accepted it, scanned through and the fork fell from her mouth, landing on the floor with a loud clatter. "Oh," Filia whispered and sank into the closest chair she could find. Her eyes closed and she bent her head, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Gourry looked over Filia's shoulder and squinted at the writing. It was in the common language that he knew, which made reading it fairly easy. His heart clenched as he read the report detailing a massacre of golden dragons, with details on just how gruesome it was. He lowered the plate and placed a comforting hand on Filia's shoulder. She hunched forward, the scroll fluttering to the ground as she rocked herself.

"I thought it was over," Filia sobbed. "I thought my clan was the last, that the others would be safe. Why... Why..."

"Filthy Mazoku," Shizuri spitted and hurled the second scroll she had picked up back onto the table.

Gourry reached for the scroll and finished reading it. He saw Memphis's signature affixed to the bottom. "It says here that there was a survivor." Filia and Shizuri stared at him in shock. His eyes met theirs. "It was a child. Memphis is bringing it back here."

"A child?" Shizuri asked and accepted the scroll when Gourry passed it to her. "What are we going to do with it?"

Filia's head snapped up and she stared at the illusionist with steely resolve. "Take care of it, of course." She pushed out of her chair and strode out of the room in a mad swirl of robes and determination. "I'm going to go speak with Milgazia-san!"

Shizuri stared after Filia, jaw sagging for a moment. Then she chased after her. "You're not thinking of taking in that child are you?" she demanded as she caught up to Filia.

"Why not?" Filia whirled around. "Someone's got to take care of him, why not me?"

"Well, for one thing, you don't know the first thing about taking care of kids."

"Neither does Lina-san, and that's not stopping her and Gourry-san from becoming parents!"

Shizuri massaged her forehead for a moment. "That's different and we both know it. They have months to get ready. We have what, one day? Two at the most? This is like having an egg drop out of the sky in a sparkly mass of feathers. You're not suddenly going to acquire the knowledge needed to be a mom just like that." She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "Stop and think about this rationally, Filia."

"I am thinking about it," she insisted, thoughts, worries and memories spinning in her mind so quickly that Filia was afraid to stop even for a moment to analyze them. "I just know this much - I'm not going to let any other orphans turn out the way Valgaav did."

"This kid isn't Valgaav."

"But, it's just like him! His tribe attacked by a vicious band of Mazoku - "

"Whereas Valgaav's was attacked by Golden Dragons..."

"Don't remind me!" Filia screeched as Lina and Lyos stepped into the hall. Lina shot Gourry, who stood at the other end of the hall, a questioning look and he jerked his head. She and Lyos glanced at each other, then quickly joined Gourry.

"Look, all I see is that another band of Golden Dragons has been massacred, and there's just a lone survivor," Filia kept going, nearly choking from panic. "Just like what happened to Valgaav ... and to me. I always wanted to atone for what happened to Valgaav, and I know it was too late even when we first met him. But, I can do this. I can take care of this child, love this child, and show the child that because everything he knows is gone doesn't mean that the world has abandoned him. In the middle of all the hatred and cruelty there's hope and love. Please, let me do this."

Shizuri didn't say anything for a long moment. With a sigh, she pushed a hand through her hair. "Well, get on with it. We'll talk to Milgazia together."

Filia's eyes lit up. "You'll help me?"

"Until we go back to Kunan, yes. You need someone to look after you when we're gone. Might as well be a kid. Come on. We've got a lot of work to do if he approves this."

Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж

Memphis arrived with the child in tow two days later. The normally jubilant elf looked wan and exhausted. Filia and Shizuri looked equally tired as they had spent the vast majority of that time fixing up a nursery for the child. They drafted Gourry and Lyos into moving the furniture around. Lina spent the time sitting in a rocking chair, secretly gloating that her own pregnancy was a viable excuse to keep away from doing the grunt work. So, she did what she did best - ordering everyone around until they went insane.

It was moments like these that Lina truly lived for.

Whatever good humor she had from the two days of work died away when Memphis and Milgazia strode in carrying the dragon child. The boy looked, Lina thought, very much like a human toddler. Tufts of blue spiky hair that reminded her eerily of Valgaav stuck up from the middle of his head. Other than that, he could easily be the child that she was carrying in her body. Lina's hand drifted down to her abdomen absently as Filia rushed over to Memphis and the baby.

"He's in human form," Filia gasped, her hand reaching for the baby. He flinched, cowering as her hand hovered over his hair. "He's so young for that. I was almost a teenager before I could change to human form."

"Our guess is that the circumstances surrounding the battle caused the magic inside of the child to go wild," Milgazia said. "It's a survival technique, to blend in and become something that your enemy will overlook. The Mazoku that attacked his tribe weren't thinking to look for any humans. We can take on human form, so his instincts forced his magic to transform. My guess is that he's the equivalent of a human two-year-old at the moment." He gave Filia a calm, measured look. "Are you sure you still want to do this?"

"Absolutely sure!" Filia held out her arms again and smiled at the child. "Boy, correct."

"Correct," Memphis nodded and handed over the child. The little boy struggled for a moment, then peered up at Filia with half-scared, half-hopeful eyes. His bottom lip quivered and he croaked out something in a language that Lina didn't understand.

"Oh, I know, sweetheart," Filia replied, tears sliding down her cheeks. She rested her cheek against the boy's head. "I'm not your mama, and you want her. My name's Filia. I'd like to take care of you if you'll let me."

The boy didn't say anything else, but he visibly relaxed in Filia's arms. "Does he have a name?" she asked Milgazia.

"None that we're aware of. The boy says very few words, and none of them we recognize as his name. Just the words used for parents, food, and water."

"I see." Filia closed her eyes and for a moment she looked so sad that Lina's heart ached. "I think," she said quietly, "he should be named for another war orphan who was abandoned. That orphan didn't get the chances this little one's going to get. It's like ... like he's been given a second chance. This is a golden dragon, not an Ancient one. But still..."

"We get what you mean, Filia," Lina spoke up. "I think Val's an excellent name for him."


	4. The Princess's True Identity

**Disclaimer:** Slayers does not belong to me, but belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi and the companies that represent them. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**Author's Note:** The principal reason why this chapter took so long? Writing a particular character who appears in this story. GAH. She drives me up the wall! This takes place about four months following chapters two and three. I apologize for the delay and because of it, I'm posting chapters 4 and 5, the latter of which has been written for a year now, up together. The events discussed at the end of this chapter will take place in a future fic.

Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж

Chapter 4: The Princess's True Identity, or How to Send Lina Inverse into Labor

"I'm hot, I'm tired, my feet are killing me, my back hurts, and I'm hungry," Lina wailed as she stumbled through Zefiela's royal palace, following the footsteps of her elder sister as they made their way toward the main chamber where Zefielia's queen was greeting the team of negotiators from Saillune. "Why did I have to come again?"

"The princess has specifically requested to see you," Luna replied curtly, not bothering to toss a look over her shoulder at her sister.

"But, I'm pregnant! Look at me, I'm nearly ready to pop!"

"Lina, you are not the first pregnant woman to grace this planet," Luna snapped at her, suddenly halting and nearly causing Lina to plow into her. She whirled around, jabbed a finger in her sister's face. "Don't go crying to me for special treatment because you didn't have the sense to take your potion as you're suppose to."

"It was one lousy time!" Lina protested, throwing her hands in the air and nearly knocking herself off balance in the process. As it was, she wobbled and she immediately covered her burgeoning abdomen with her hands to protect the human being floating inside. "Look, I told you, it wasn't my fault that the village got so picky over the fact that I happened to expose the fact that they were swindled. If anything, I did them a huge favor!"

Luna rolled her eyes, shook her head, turned on her heels and marched into the royal chamber.

Lina followed, grumbling the entire time. She and Gourry had arrived in Zefielia at the beginning of her seventh month of pregnancy. It was worth it just to have her mother faint from pure shock, her father accidentally break his fishing pole, and Luna to drop her tray when they got a good look at her distended stomach. It had all made the discomfort that went along with pregnancy very much worth it. So did the unlimited amounts of food she'd gotten. Lana Inverse had prevented her daughter from lifting a single finger to help out with chores and even Luna had gone easy on her … until now.

A royal summons was something that Luna never took lightly. It had actually been for Lina. A group of trade negotiators from Saillune, led by the recently returned Princess Gracia, Lina had gotten a letter about Gracia's return from an overjoyed Amelia shortly before she and Gourry headed to Zefielia. Her sister wasn't to remain in Saillune long, but had agreed to help oversee some trade negotiations before resuming her travels.

Those negotiators had made their way to Zefielia and now apparently Princess Gracia wanted to see her younger sister's best friend. Lina groused beneath her breath. If it had been Amelia herself, she would have come to her, not the other way around! She thought of the letter she had sent in response to Amelia's last missive - notifying her about her trip to Zefielia and the baby. To be honest, she was surprised that Amelia wasn't there in the final days of her pregnancy. She missed her - and missing Amelia was the only reason she wanted to see Gracia herself. Maybe Gracia could use the communicate spell to get her sister out there.

Lina waddled to the door and grasped it with one hand, waiting to catch her breath. She drummed her fingers absently on her stomach, which seemed to have dropped in the past day or so. "You're already wearing me out, and you're not even out of me yet!" Her response was a cramp and Lina winced. She'd had cramps throughout the pregnancy, but they'd been coming with more regularity in the past day or so. The sensible part of her told her to call out for Luna because she just might be in labor, but even she wasn't quite sure. The healer had said it'd be another two weeks and other than the cramps, Lina felt relatively normal.

_You know, you're probably in labor_, the nagging voice in the back of her mind said.

She was just about to agree with it when she heard a loud, trilling laugh echo through the chamber. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and instinctively, Lina reared back with one hand. "_Fireba…"_

"_Lina Inverse!!!_" Luna bellowed, whirling around just as Lina was about to launch the attack.

She let her hand drop to the back of her head, rubbing it sheepishly. "Yeah … um … Sorry about that, Your Excellency. Your Royal Highness."

"Mrs. Gabriev," Dinasa, Eternal Queen of Zefielia, cooly replied with a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Lina flinched. Being addressed in that manner made her feel old.

"It's just Lina Inverse. None of that Mrs. stuff." Lina slowly walked into the throne room and inclined her head to the queen.

Dinasa stepped aside and Lina saw a figure clad in a red gown with long, curling black hair. "May I introduce you to Princess Gracia ul Naga Saillune?"

The woman whirled around, smirking at Lina, her very large breasts bouncing with the movement and nearly spilling out of the dress. She jabbed a finger at her and screeched with laughter once more. "There she is! My rival, Lina Inv…" Gracia's eyes dropped to Lina's stomach. "_What?"_

Lina's jaw dropped. "Oh, god… _Naga?_" She suddenly doubled over in pain as terrible cramp tore through her body.

Then her water broke.

——-

Everything started happening so fast that Lina could barely keep track of what was going on. Horrific pain ripped through her body - worse than when she had taken a direct hit for Sylphiel and far worse than whatever memories she retained of having the Lord of Nightmares take over her body. She felt herself being hefted up by Luna, doctors yelled for. She dimly heard Naga in the background and swore that alone was a nightmare. She heard Luna issuing orders and the commanding voice of Dinasa ordering that a room be prepared and that soldiers be sent for Gourry and her mother.

Somehow, in the sweltering heat of early summer, they had found a blessidly cool room for her. Contractions came and went, racking her petite frame as they decreased from five minutes apart to barely two. She heard an argument between Luna and a healer, something about cutting open her body, that she couldn't handle a normal delivery, and everything inside her screamed against this. She tried to tell them not to do it, try to scream it really, but she could barely make a sound. All she could do was grit her teeth, work her way through the contractions and wish with all of her heart that Gourry and her mother were there.

Then, suddenly, Gourry was there. His long hair was plastered to his head with sweat, and it rolled down his forehead and cheeks. She gripped his hand hard and wanted to yell at him that this was all his fault. But, a mangled scream emerged instead as another contraction ripped her to pieces.

"She can't take this." Gourry's normally calm voice, now higher-pitched with panic, addressed someone she didn't recognize. "Can't you do that surgery?"

"It's risky. It's experimental at best and with her having gone through this much already, I'm not sure she can take it." Gourry was nudged aside, and Lina's eyes widened as Sylphiel came into view. "Lina-san," she said in a gentle voice, "are you prepared to see your child?"

"Get this thing out of me so I can kill him!" Lina screeched and Gourry paled.

"Okay. We need to get your strength back. Prepare her for delivery," Sylphiel ordered another healer, then took Lina's hand and chanted. She felt the Resurrection spell wash over her, and suddenly strength flooded through her veins. The room snapped back into focus and Lina saw Luna standing next to Gourry. Her mother stood on the other side of the bed.

Lana Inverse pushed her daughter's sweaty bangs out of her eyes. "Don't worry, sweetheart, it's almost over," she said in a soothing voice just as the next contraction tore through her.

It all became a blur once more. Sylphiel issued more orders and as the pain grew unbearable, Lina reached for Gourry's hand and clamped it like a vice. She swore she heard bones shift, but he barely winced. She looked up, focused on his face. She could see the worry in his eyes, but he had a smile and was urging her on. Then, just for a brief second, her gaze flickered to Luna's and her sister merely arched an eyebrow as if to say, _You've been stalling long enough. _At Sylphiel's next command, Lina bore down and seconds later she heard a cry of delight from the foot of the bed.

She slumped against the pillows, breathing hard as tears leaked from her eyes. The throaty cry of a baby sounded and Sylphiel emerged with little, wet wringly thing that seemed no bigger that Gourry's hand. "It's a girl," Sylphiel said, barely holding back tears as she handed the baby, loosely wrapped in a blanket, to Lina.

She stared down at the little creature with an immense sense of awe, and the world suddenly narrowed to the two of them. She was so mesmerized that it took a moment to realize that something was splashing on her arms. She craned her head and saw Gourry, his arms wrapped around the two of them and tears rolling down his cheeks. He was staring at the baby, looking as if he'd been handed the greatest treasure in the world.

——-

Hours later, Naga sailed into the room. Her family had gone home and Gourry had escorted Sylphiel back to her chambers - Lina having found out in the interim that Sylphiel had accompanied the trade negotiators as their healer. Naga started to let loose with her signature laugh, then it ceased when she saw the small-wrapped bundle tucked next to Lina on the bed. She approached them, shaking her head with disbelief.

"I can't believe this!" Naga cried, sweeping a hand over them. "They allowed you to spawn?"

"Well, if I'm allowed to have a kid, you're allowed to be a princess … _Gracia._" Lina glowered at her, wishing she had the energy to summon a fireball. Princess or not, Naga deserved to be fried. "All these years and you never told me?"

"You never told me you were pregnant!"

"And just how was I suppose to convey that information to you? Write it in the sky?" Lina picked up the baby and carefully cradled her; partly to protect her from Naga and partly to keep her from trying to kill her.

"But how …"

Lina's eyes glittered. "Shall I remind you about the birds and the bees? You _did_ meet up with me and Gourry a couple years back, remember?"

"Remember? I've been trying to get _that_ memory out of my head!" Naga groaned and downed the mug of ale she'd brought in with her.

"And that's what you get for barging into our room without knocking!" Lina yelled at her. The baby whimpered in response to her mother's distress. Lina grumbled, but forced herself to calm down before she had a screaming newborn to go along with everything else. "That's why you ran away - right before we saw Amelia and Zel. That's why you didn't want Amelia to see you. Why didn't you want Amelia to know that we've known each other for years?"

Naga had the grace to look somewhat sheepish. "It's nothing like that, I assure you. I just didn't want to go home."

Lina arched an eyebrow. "Didn't want to go home?"

Naga leaped to her feet and paced the room nervously. "You didn't want to come home either," she accused Lina.

"Point," Lina conceded and figured she could see where Naga was coming from. By coming back to Zefielia, Lina had stepped into a role she hadn't occupied in a decade - that of being Luna Inverse's little sister. No matter what name she had made for herself in the world, once she had come back to Zefielia, all of that had been swept under the rug. The Lina she'd been when she left home at 13 was nowhere near the person she was at 23, almost 24 now. She didn't want to go back to that person. She imagined the fit wasn't too comfortable for Naga either.

"So? When do you plan to ditch Phil and Amelia and go out on your own again?"

"It's not like that," Naga huffed. "They were training missions."

"Sure they were," Lina replied dismissively.

Naga started to laugh In response, but then remembered the baby. She huffed and dropped back into her seat. "I can't do anything fun with you because you're holding her."

Lina shot her a cryptic grin. "Why do you think I'm holding her?"

"You're mean!" Naga whined.

They fell into silence, watching as the baby rooted in her blankets. "Will you give it up?" Naga asked. "The traveling? Everything?"

"I … don't know. She wasn't planned." Lina stared into her oldest rival's eyes and felt the doubts that she'd been trying to hide for the past few months bubble back to the surface. She quickly suppressed them before she could be teased about them. "We're just going to take it one day at a time right now. Getting married didn't stop us. I suppose baby won't stop us either."

"Little Naga will be thrilled!"

Lina glowered at her. "Who says I'm naming my kid after _you_?"

Naga preened. "Because you're going to name it after the most worthy rival you've ever encountered and who will finally best you after so many years! Ohohoho…" Her laughter came to an abrupt stop as Lina tossed the only weapon she had at her disposal at Naga - her daughter's soiled diaper.


	5. First Meeting

**Disclaimer:** Slayers does not belong to me, but belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi and the companies that represent them. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

**Author's Note:** This explains why Amelia didn't appear in chapter 4 and why Naga didn't relay the news back to her. Although Lina does know the relationship now, I do want to preserve the status quo in the series.

Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж

Chapter 5: "First Meeting"

"My lady?"

Amelia glanced up briefly at the courtier hovering at the doorway. "Yes, White-san?"

"You have visitors to see you. Shall I show them in?" A faint look of distress briefly crossed the elderly man's face. "I urged them to seek an appointment, but they were most insistent. They also had run into your father, who told me to see them straight through and..."

"She doesn't need the entire story," a second voice cut in and a moment later, the courtier found himself shoved to one side as a petite red-haired woman walked into the room. She placed a hand on a cocked hip and grinned. "Long time, no see, Amelia!"

"Lina-san!" Abandoning her work, Amelia sprang up from her chair. She darted down the stairs from the platform containing her desk and instantly skidded a stop when Gourry appeared behind Lina holding an infant wrapped in a pink blanket. Little wisps of strawberry-blonde hair framed a round face that couldn't be any older than two months old. The baby gave a great yawn and blinked open vivid blue eyes. They focused a moment on the gaping princess before switching to her mother's hair, just within arm's reach. She gurgled, reached out and snagged a fistful.

"What? Forget who we are?" Lina teased, then winced as the baby tugged at her hair. "No, don't pull Mama's hair. Pull Papa's hair."

"Oi!"

"My hair is more precious than yours!" With a patience Amelia was quite sure she'd never seen from the sorceress before, Lina managed to pry her hair loose from the baby's grip. "Here." She grabbed a lock of Gourry's hair and dangled it in front of the child. She gave another gurgle then grabbed on tight.

"Now look you," Gourry started to scold her, but was interrupted by a squeal from Amelia.

"Oh my god, she's so cute!" Amelia cried as she sped to Gourry's side. She immediately reached for the baby and the exchange was made with little hair loss. She cradled the baby reverently. "Lina-san!" Her tone became harsh. "You never told me you were pregnant!"

"Of course I told you I was pregnant!" Lina headed for a nearby sofa and threw herself on it. She stretched and gave a relieved sigh. "I wrote you when Gourry and I were headed to Zefielia to stay with my folks until after the birth. That was about five months ago." She started to ask why hadn't Naga told her, then remembered their agreement in the days after the birth not to mention their mutual ... whatever it was ... to Amelia. Naga insisted she wanted to tell Amelia herself and Lina was more than happy to let Naga explain things to Amelia. After all, it was all Naga's fault in the first place. Since Naga had disappeared into the wind once more after completing the trade negotiations, she most likely hadn't come home before taking off once more. And Lina was quite content to go through life doing her best to forget that Naga and Amelia were related.

"Five months ago?" Amelia's forehead wrinkled and she hurried back to her desk. Shifting the baby to one arm, she started shuffling through her correspondence.

"Yeah." Lina yawned as Gourry settled beside her. "We headed to Zefielia when I was about seven months along."

"When she couldn't chase after bandits anymore," Gourry supplied helpfully. "They laughed when she tried to waddle after them." Lina kicked his shin and snarled slightly.

Lina's letter was at the very bottom of the stack, stuck to an unopened missive from a suitor that Amelia had no wish to acknowledge. He'd been a nice enough man, but the one party she attended had been a haze of smoke and a roomful of men getting drunk. She sent off one note of apology, then ignored the other correspondence. She dropped into her chair so she could better support the baby while she opened the letter.

_Dear Amelia,_

_Say, you mind if Gourry and I head your way in about five months or so? I'm not sure word got back to you or not, I assume it didn't because I wanted to tell you myself and promised to Dragon Slave anyone who told you before me, but I'm having a baby! Yeah, imagine that. Me, a mother. I'm so proud to have someone to pass all of my talents onto! Now excuse me while I go beat some sense into Gourry, because he's sitting over here asking me which of my talents happen to be good!_

_It happened by accident. I skipped a month due to well...extenuating circumstances and if you happen to be pregnant, the potion does nothing at all. Like I had a clue about this! It's not all bad, I suppose. After all, we've been married for a few years and the idea's sort of floated out there for awhile. We've done a hell of a lot of traveling. I reckon we've seen the whole world. Guess it's time to see it again through a kid's eyes. Gourry keeps saying he wants a girl, though he also said he doesn't care what it is. I suppose I don't either. Long as it's healthy._

_Look, we're going to spend the next few months with my folks. I don't want to be stuck on the road when I go into labor and it's time we headed to Zefielia for a longer visit. But we both agreed that we'd like to make a go of having a permanent home in Saillune. You up to helping us out with that? We'll make sure you're the first one to see the kid as well. _

_Your friend,_

_Lina_

Tears stung at Amelia's eyes. _If only I'd known, I'd gone to Zefielia. I wish.._. She glanced at the baby. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you were born," she whispered and pressed a kiss to the baby's smooth forehead. The infant yawned, then started wiggling around. She inched herself around until she could burrow into Amelia's chest.

"Someone's hungry," Amelia said gently and chuckled. "Lina-san, I think your daughter inherited your appetite. Lina-san?" She looked up and saw that both Lina and Gourry had fallen asleep. He was sprawled on the sofa, head tilted over the back and snoring. She was curled into his side, using his arm as a pillow.

Amelia's smile widened. "Someone's been wearing her parents out, hasn't she? Good job! I think the bandits of in this kingdom are thanking you profusely right now."

In response, the baby scrunched her nose and let loose a loud wail.

Lina immediately bolted upright. "I didn't take that cache of pearls!" she yelped, then shook her head. She gave a rueful grin at Amelia's raised eyebrow. "Well, I didn't! I liberated it."

"Lina-san!" Amelia scolded. "Have you been looting bandit camps while carrying an _infant_?"

"I didn't carry her! She was safe with Gourry the entire time!"

"_Lina-san!_"

"Hey, someone in this family has to earn money!" Lina held her arms out and Amelia carried the baby to her. Upon a closer look, Amelia spied subtle changes to her friend's clothes. She still wore the same fuschia-colored tunic and pants, but no yellow band. Lina deftly undid the clasps with one hand and rearranged her clothing so her daughter could feed herself. "One good thing about this pregnancy...I've got breasts!"

"Hope she keeps them," Gourry muttered in a sleepy voice and Lina stomped on his foot.

Amelia sat so her knees touched Lina's and they watched the baby feed. "What's her name?"

"Emilie. We though Emila, which is your name rearranged somewhat, but the name sounded to strange. So it's Emilie. Kind of sounds close to Amelia, doesn't it?"

Stunned, Amelia's gaze shot up to meet Lina's. "You... You named the baby for me?"

"What? You think we were going to name her after Xelloss?"

Amelia laughed and gently stroked the baby's hair. "Thank you," she said reverently.

"Least we could do, give her a decent name. You think you're up to being her godmother?"

Amelia didn't bother to check her tears. "Of course."

"Good! That's settled." Lina switched the baby around so she could feed from the other breast. She glanced up at Amelia, sincere gratitude in her eyes. "Thanks."

"It's my honor," Amelia replied and swiped at the tears drying on her face. "I will be the best godmother I can be!" She got to her feet and headed toward the desk, a light spring in her footstep. "I will teach Emilie the path of justice and righteousness! She will be a champion of justice! A defender of the poor! Protector of the weak! She will have all 922 Saillune family justice speeches memorized by her third birthday!"

Lina paled. "Amelia, I'm sure that's not quite...wait a minute, did you say _922_?"

"Or is it 923? I think Daddy was working on a new one."

"Just a minute now! You're not filling my kid's head with justice speeches!"

"Look at the fist of justice she's making! She wants to follow in her godmother's footsteps!"

"I can reconsider this, you know!" Lina shouted after Amelia as the princess sped out of the room to find out the status of her father's justice speech making. She gave a rueful sigh and shifted Emilie to her shoulder to burp her. "Well, it can't be that bad, can it?"

"Nah," Gourry replied and draped his arm around Lina's shoulders. He reached over with his other hand and lightly patted Emilie's back until the baby gave a lusty burp. The threesome had just drifted off to sleep when Amelia came back bearing a copy of _Prince Phil's Justice Speeches for Infants._


	6. Home

**Disclaimer:** Slayers does not belong to me, but belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi and the companies that represent them. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж

Chapter 6: "Home"

"Okay! Your turn!" Gourry looked up from his breakfast to see Lina walk in, their daughter held at arm's length. She presented him the infant and a diaper. "There you go, have fun." She swiped the rest of his bacon off the plate and headed back out of the room.

Amelia was amused. "I take it Lina-san doesn't like to change Emilie's diapers."

"She says that since she has to endure Emilie throwing up all over her, I get to change the bad diapers." Gourry spotted an unused sideboard along the edge of the room and carried the baby over to it. "So we have an arrangement. She only changes the good diapers, I change the bad ones."

"What constitutes a bad diaper?" Amelia leaned against the opposite end of the sideboard as Gourry unpinned the sides of the diaper. He lowered it and their noses immediately wrinkled at the sight and smell. "Oh. I…see," Amelia said in a faltering voice, all thoughts of eating now very far from her mind.

"Um…I might need to give her a bath with this one." He quickly did the diaper back up and picked her up. "I'll take her back to our room."

"No, no, there's a full bathroom just down the hall." Amelia motioned toward the door and Gourry followed. Emilie had woken up in the meantime and was starting to show her displeasure over not having a clean diaper.

Amelia led them into a bathroom that was only slightly smaller than the one in the guest suites - more than big enough to hold a grown man, woman and infant. Amelia twisted the taps, tested the temperature and rummaged for soap. She filled the tub with about three inches of water as Gourry removed Emilie's diaper and used it to clean up most of the mess. She stepped away and he lowered the baby into the water, leaving the dirty diaper on a vanity.

Amelia felt a slight twist in her heart as father and daughter interacted. Emilie wasn't old enough to do much, but she did splash her tiny hands in the water eagerly as she was cleaned. She cooed when her father spoke to her and gurgled with delight when he suddenly blew on her stomach. That made Amelia grin from ear to ear. Somehow, she knew that Gourry would make an excellent father. And Lina as a mother in fact. _I wonder what I would be like as a mother?_

"There we go!" Gourry lifted Emilie up and extended her toward Amelia. The princess grabbed a towel and took the baby, wrapping her in the soft cotton before cradling her in her arms.

Amelia looked at her goddaughter, thought of all the paperwork she needed to do that day, and made her decision. "Do you mind if I kept Emilie with me for today?"

Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж

Lina had finished her own bath and was partially dressed when Gourry walked in sans child. She whirled around, slightly panicked. "Where's…"

"Amelia took her for the day." Gourry yawned, already feeling tired. He laid on the bed, intending to take a nap. Unfortunately, their child tended not to honor normal sleeping schedules. "We had to give her a bath, so Amelia said she wanted to take her."

"Good!" Lina flashed him a grin. He cracked one eye open, returned the smile, then his gaze swept over her bare chest and abdomen. She quickly reddened, then grabbed her tunic.

He levered himself onto his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! It'll just be good to have a break, that's all," she said shortly.

"You haven't been embarrassed about getting dressed in front of me for years," he pointed out.

"I am not," she lied, then hissed. "You looking at me in that way got us into this situation to begin with!"

"Wasn't it you straddling me on our anniversary?"

Lina grumbled. "You know, you constantly amaze me. You can't even begin to remember how a basic Lighting spell is performed and slaughter most of the history of our known world, but you remember our sex life perfectly."

"It's something worth remembering!"

"And history and magic aren't?"

Gourry gave her a wide-eyed look. "Isn't that what you're for?"

Lina tossed her hairbrush at him and he rolled to the side. It hit the headboard with a loud clatter and fell on the pillow. Gourry picked it up, returned to his spot and handed it to her when she reached for it. "So, partner, what do we want to do with our unexpected day off?"

"Sleep," Gourry instantly replied and closed his eyes.

"Best plan I've ever heard from you." Lina crawled up beside him without bothering to do up her tunic. She snuggled against him and both were asleep within minutes.

——-

"Everything is remarkably quiet considering that you've given those two the day off, so to speak," Phil mused as Amelia played with a gurgling Emilie.

"They're either being intimate or sleeping," Amelia said wisely and grinned at her father's shocked look. "Just because I'm not married doesn't mean I don't know what goes on behind closed doors, Daddy. I am almost 24, you know, and that particular activity led to this beautiful little girl. Besides, I think they're just sleeping. They look exhausted. And it's all your fault," she said in a cooing voice to Emilie. The baby waved her little arms and cooed back.

"You know, I think she's proud of that fact." Phil ran a hand over her downy head.

"She is Lina-san's daughter." They exchanged grins at that.

"Still, daughter, I wonder what Lina-san and Gourry-san will plan to do now that they have this little one?" Phil asked as Amelia passed the baby over to him. He lifted her high into the air and she squealed with delight.

"I don't know." Amelia folded her arms over her chest and looked pensive for a moment. "Lina-san's letter mentioned them making a go at settling down in Saillune. It's just hard to think of those two as being settled."

Phil lowered the baby and placed her against his shoulder, absently patting her back. He had to agree with his daughter. It was hard enough to reconcile the fact that Lina Inverse was a mother to begin with. The news had sent part of the Saillune legislature into an apocalyptic fit, until Amelia had reminded them of who the child's father was. The sentiment was clear: Everyone wished that Emilie would turn out a bit more like her father than her mother. It would make the ensuing damages a lot easier to swallow. None of them wanted to think about the quantities of food the three of them alone would consume once the child was older.

But as the crown prince of Saillune, Phil knew an opportunity when he saw one and despite the collateral that came along with her, Lina _was_ an asset to the kingdom. Sure she had blown up part of the city when the Mazoku had released their hold over the chunk of land that had hovered over it thanks to Alfred's actions. But if Lina hadn't been there, the entire capital would have been wiped out in a single stroke. Over the years, both Amelia and Zelgadiss had quietly filled him in on Lina's actions regarding Rezo the Red Priest, Ruby-Eye Shabrangidu, Rikufalso and Hureika, and Darkstar. The world had nearly been eradicated a few too many times to Phil's liking and he knew it was Lina who had stood in between them and the darkness every single time.

"I think," Phil said aloud, "it's time we paid Lina-san for everything she's done for our kingdom."

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Well, she eats us out of house and home."

"Despite that, we agreed on a wager when she was my bodyguard a few years ago and I never got around to paying her for it." Phil slammed his free fist on his desk, startling Emilie. She promptly started wailing.

"Daddy!" Amelia scolded.

"I forgot. Sssh, sssh." Phil quickly tried calming the baby, patting her back until she calmed down and sniffled her way back to sleep. "As I was saying," he whispered to Amelia, "yes I know we've picked up Lina-san's … expenses over the years. But, I never gave her the actual payment for the bodyguard job. Follow me here, daughter. I'm going to give Lina Inverse a deal she can't refuse."

Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж

It took a few weeks to put Phil's plan in place, and Lina was never the wiser. With Amelia pitching in to help care for Emilie, Lina found herself sleeping most of the time. What she hadn't told Amelia, and what she tried to keep from Gourry as much as possible, was that the birth had been harder on her than she cared to admit. Because she didn't want Luna going after her, Lina had gotten up much earlier than recommended and pretty much shoved her life back into some semblance of the same order that it had before she'd gotten pregnant. Hence the rush to arrive in Saillune just eight weeks after Emilie's birth.

She'd known she'd been risking a lot when she snuck away from camp and took out a bandit camp, but she had to prove to herself that she was still the same person she'd been before she and Gourry had gotten their plus one. When she arrived back at the camp, she found a very hungry child and a Gourry that had nearly gone frantic with worry. He'd stared at her with the bag of loot in one hand and her pale face from where she pushed herself too far. She could see the struggle in his eyes, whether or not to yell at her. Instead, he pulled her into a fierce hug and whispered into her hair to not make him worry like that again.

That did more to quell her wanderlust than a screaming match.

She still wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do about everything. Lina peered through the window as the royal carriage carried her, Gourry, Emilie, and Amelia through Saillune City. She could see herself staying in one place for awhile. But permanently? Sure, she'd rambled on about being a shop owner when she was 15, but she'd now been on the road for 10 years. It was hard to consider just … stopping. Lina knew that she needed to stop, that Emilie would become a primary target for her enemies by constantly exposing her to them before she was old enough to defend herself. Sure, they'd still come after her in one spot, but …

Lina's train of thought derailed as the carriage pulled to a stop and Amelia threw the door open. "Go on out," she urged and grabbed the traveling basket that Emilie slept in.

Lina hopped out of the carriage with Gourry following. They stood in the middle of a town square, one of the villages that bordered the perimeter of Saillune City, she realized. A fountain bubbled gently in the center of the square, and an elegant garden extended from all sides. The most prominent shops in the town were here, she deduced, in the middle of the picture-perfect scene. She spotted the market extending down one side of the square and more homes in the distance. It was a direct contrast to some of the seedier sides of Saillune that Lina had seen before.

"So, what's here, Amelia?" she asked as Amelia joined them.

"You'll see," she promised and led the way into one of the buildings.

It was an empty storefront, a rather large one at that, Lina thought as she assessed the interior. There was a large main room, and a side room that could either serve as storage or a showroom for specialized merchandise. A spacious kitchen and living area was behind the store, with another small room that Lina guessed served as an office. She spotted a stairwell and guessed there were several bedrooms on the second floor, at least three if not four.

Gourry rapped his knuckles against the walls. "Good construction," he observed, then sniffed. "This is a brand-new building."

"Seriously?" Lina squinted, paid closer attention to the bright, shining wood and the new stove and fixtures. "You're right. What used to be here?"

"An old bookstore. The previous owner had died and it'd fallen into disrepair. The exterior still looked good, but the interior was a mess." Phil descended the stairwell dressed in old coveralls and a paint-splattered shirt. Paint had even gotten on his mustache. He beamed at them. "This was a good exercise in manual labor!"

Lina eyed him suspiciously. "_You_ built this?"

Phil beamed. "It does no good for an idle prince to sit upon his throne and dole out unequal laws to his people. It is unjust! He must become one with his kingdom and do the work that they do! Only then will you truly understand them and be able to serve them properly."

Lina frowned. "Isn't that a poem?" She shook her head. "Oh, never mind. Glad to know that you're an active participant in the laborer's guild, Phil-san, but why exactly are you helping to build this store?"

"To help pay off a debt." Phil moved to the table and picked up a sheaf of papers. He thrust them into Lina's hands. "Congratulations, Lina-san! This now belongs to you!"

Lina's jaw fell. "_Huh?????_"

Phil grasped Lina's hands, nearly wrinkling the papers in the process. "You've served this kingdom for many years, Lina-san. You as well, Gourry-san. When my precious Amelia told me that you wanted to make this kingdom your home, I wanted to repay the debt that I never paid you all those years ago."

LIna's eyes widened. "Oh, that's right! You didn't … let's see, now how much is that with interest …"

"About the cost of this plot of land and the building that now stands upon it," Amelia chimed in and gave Lina a sweet smile. "I saw you appraising it. This is prime real estate. The village is just far enough outside of the city to where you can use your black magic without any problems, but close enough that it should only take you an hour or so via carriage to reach the palace."

"Wa… wait a minute!" Lina stammered, her gaze swinging wildly from Amelia to Phil and back again. "Don't I have a say in this matter?"

"Hey Lina!" Gourry's voice echoed down the stairwell and Lina realized he'd wandered upstairs. "The bathroom has one of those really big tubs like at the palace. And indoor plumbing!"

Lina swung back to Phil with a huge grin. "We'll take it!"

Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж

They sat on the back stoop together. The yard extended until it met a cliff, which netted them a gorgeous aerial view of Saillune City, part of the reason why the property had been so expensive. Lina and Phil had spent the afternoon going over the deeds before signing and securing them away in a lockbox. He'd also graciously provided them with enough basic furniture to get started with. Amelia's belated gift for Emilie's birth had been a fully stocked nursery and unlimited offers to baby sit, which had nearly been more welcomed than the store itself.

Lina was still trying to grasp it. In one fell swoop, she'd gone from traveler to store owner. All because of the infant waving her tiny arms as she lay in her father's arms.

"Well?" Her gaze swung to Gourry's. "You haven't really given me your thoughts on this. What do you think?"

Gourry gave her a curious look. "Think about what?"

Lina poked his side. "About _this_. About stopping. About owning a store, having a permanent home, having a kid … everything. Will you miss being on the road?"

Gourry didn't say anything for a moment. He absently jiggled Emilie in his arms. "Well," he said. "I don't see how this changes anything."

"It changes everything!" Lina protested, getting to her feet to pace. "We can't just pick up and leave when the going gets rough any more. We can't just go after the next legend, wander to random festival or do what we want. We've got to consider Emilie now, and apparently we're going into business for ourselves. Doing what, I suppose we'll figure it out. It's just … everything's different now."

Gourry frowned. "But how?"

"Weren't you listening, jellyfish brains?"

He nodded. "I am, but … we're together. It's not like that's changed, has it?"

Lina stared at him a long time, then smiled. "No. It hasn't." And she realized then that despite all of the changes, the biggest part of her life would remain exactly the same.

Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж•Ж

**Author's Note:** Finished! This story actually serves as the set-up for a longer piece of fiction I'd like to indulge in a bit further down the road and establishes Lina and co. into their situations for that fic and introduce most of the OCs created for that story - namely Emilie and Val. As alluded to in "The First Time," Emilie does eventually gain a younger brother, Aiden, and he also plays into that story. But, despite OCs, the focus of the story - as always - is on the original characters in the Slayers canon. I'm just expanding it for fun and ... well, fun.

Some homages in this chapter: Sharp-eyed people may see allusions to "Ulysses" by Tennyson in Phil's speech to Lina, which was actually completely unintentional but fit very well. Others influences include Billy Joel's "You're My Home," which I had going through my head the entire time I wrote this chapter, and the final scene of "These Happy Golden Years" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.


End file.
